Centrifugal extractor.



W. BARTHOLOIVIEW.

CENTRIFUGAL ExTRAcToR. APPL I CAT! 0 N F f LED ,l U LY l 6 I 9 l 5 1,224,890 Patented May 8, 1917.

M omas "zum w.. www 1 Ima. wAsmNmoN, a cv FIOR.

WILLIAM BARTI-IOLOMEW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 TROY LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, LIMITED, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTOR.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 191?.

Original application led March 26, 1912, Serial No. 686,404. Divided and this application led July 16, 1915. Serial No. 40,237.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BA1-:Tirom- Mnw, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Extractors, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates in general to safety mechanism for. machinery, and more particularly to centrifugal extractors, such for instance as disclosed in l my Iatent No. 1,151,992, granted August 31st, 1915, of which this application is a division.

My said patent covers improved automatic mechanism for locking the cover of a cen trfugal extractor in closed position during the rotation of the inclosed basket so as to prevent access to the basket while it is in rotation, thereby preventing injury to the operators. It is, however, necessary that the cover should be closed before the power is applied to rotate the basket in order that the automatic locking mechanism may perform its function.

My present invention has for its object the provision of simple and efficient means for insuring the closing of the cover before the power is applied to rotate the basket, and for preventing the opening of the cover while the power continues to be applied to the basket, such means being preferably used in conjunction with automatic mecha* nism for locking the cover in closed position as long as the basket continues to rotate, either through the application of power thereto or by momentum after the disconnection of the driving power therefrom.

My invention will be more fully disclosed hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which- Figurevl is a plan view of a centrifugal extractor equipped with my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a side` elevational view looking upwardly withrespect to Fig. l, 'a portion of the casing and basket being broken away.

The same reference characters are used in the several gures of the drawings to designate the same parts.

A indicates the casing, or curb, of the extractor which is provided with a supporting base B having a platform h at the bottom thereof, which may be secured to the floor. C designates the perforated basket within the casing A which is adapted to receive the clothes from which the water is to be extracted. D designates a shaft which is suitably oonnected to the basket C to rotate the same. d indicates a pulley fixed upon the shaft D and around which passes a belt E. The belt E passes around an idler pulley e and thence ar-ound a large pulley F fixed upon a counter shaft Gr. A bracket H is secured to the casing A and is provided with diverging arms inthe ends of which the shaft G is journaled.

Cr indicates a pulley xed upon the shaft G, while G2 indicates a pulley loosely mounted upon the shaft Gr.l J indicates the power belt which is adapted to be shifted from the loose pulley to the tight pulley, or vice versa., by suitable belt shifting means. I have shown in the drawings a belt shifting means comprising a rodl K which is mounted to reciprocate in bearings 72. and 71.2 projecting upwardly from the bracket H. A sleeve M is secured to the rod K by clamp screw fm, and carries a pair of curved rods n between which the belt J passes. L designates a lever for reciprocating the rod K and thereby shifting the belt. This lever is fulcrumed at Z upon one end of the bracket H and is pivotally connected intermediate of its ends to an arm 7c secured to the adjacent end of the rod K.

C designates a circular plate surrounding the opening through the top of the casing A which is provided with a water guard o. P designates a cover which is pivoted by a hinge p to the plate C and when closed prevents access to the interior of the casing and `the basket inclosed therein.

plate O. Pivotally connected to the bracket Q, is a rod g which passes through a slot in the water guard o and is provided with an offset portion guided by a bearing 7 formed upon a bracket R secured to the underlying portion of the bracket H. The position of the bearing r is such with relation to the belt shifting rod K that when the belt is shifted to the tight pulley-as shown in full lines in Fig. Q-the rod K will extend across the path of the rod (I and thereby prevent the lifting of the cover, while on the other hand when the belt has been shifted to the loose pulley, the rod K is withdrawn from the path of the rod g, so that the cover may be raised, and when raised, the rod y extends across the path of the belt shifting rod K, thereby preventing the belt from .being shifted to the tight pulley.

While the invention covered by this application is not restricted in its use to a centrifugal extractor provided with automatic means for locking the cover closed during the rotation of the basket, yet it is preferably used in conjunction with such means, and I will therefore briefly describe the automatic locking mechanism for the cover, covered in my said patent, Serial No. 686,404, of which this application is a division.

S designates a liasp pivotally connected by the hinge s to the cover P. S designates a spring also secured to the cover P and engaging the hasp S, so as to oscillate the saine downwardly into engagement with the outer surface of the casing A.. A lug s projects from the hasp S to the rear of the hinge s to limit the upward movement of the hasp about its hinge and thereby protect the spring S from being broken. The lower end of the h asp is provided with a chamber S2 through the inner wall of which is formed an elongated slot s2. T designates a wing or vane pivotally supported at its upper end by the stub shaft t which extends through a bearing in the casing A, and is provided on its outer end with a latch t of a size and shape to pass through the slot s2 in the inner wall of the chamber S2 of the hasp. The vane T is located in the path of the current of air created by the rotation of the basket C.

U designates a curved rod substantially horizontally located upon the wall of the casing A by means of bearings u secured to the inner surface of the casing. The forward end of the curved rod U terminates in close proximity with the adjacent surface of the vane T when the latter is in normal position. The rear end of the rod U is pivotally connected to the end of a crank U formed on the end of a rod V, the latter passing through an opening in the casing A andl being rotatably supported upon a portion of the bracket H. The end of the rod V opposite to that on which is formed the crank v, projects upwardly beneath the belt shifting rod K and is engaged by suitable devices, such as shown in my said patent, for oscillating the rod V when the belt is shifted.

The operation of my improved centrifugal extractor is as follows z After the clothes from which the water is tol be extracted have been placed in the perforated basket C, the cover P is closed which withdraws the rod g from the path of the rod K and permits the belt shifting lever L to be moved from the dotted position shown in Fig. 2 to its full line position, thereby shifting the belt J' from the loose pulley to the pulley G which is tight upon the shaft G. The shaft G is consequently rotated which drives the belt E and rotates the spindle D and with it the basket C.

When the cover P is closed, the spring S forces the lower chambered end of the hasp over the latch t', the latter passing through the slot s2 into the chamber S2. The movement of the rod K in shifting the belt to the tight pulley effects the oscillation of the rod V, so as to reciprocate the curved rod U in a direction to engage the vane T and oscillate the same into position to lock the latch t thereon within the chamber S2 of the hasp, thereby positively locking the cover in closed position immediately upon the belt being shifted to the tight pulley.

The rotation of the basket C creates a current of air on the outside thereof in the direction in which the basket rotates. The vane T is located in the path of this current of air and is held by it in position to retain the latch in locked engagement with the hasp as long as the basket continues to rotate, even though the driving power has been disconnected from the basket through the shifting of the belt to the loose pulley.

When the rotation of the basket ceases, and the current of air which it creates consequently is discontinued, the vane T oscil lates by gravity to a substantially vertical position, thereby bringing the latch t into registry with the slot 82, so that the hasp may be swung about its pivot out of engagement with the latch and the cover lifted to its open position. The shifting of the belt to the loose pulley effects the oscillation of the rod V and the reciprocation of the curved rod U out of contact with the vane, so that it will fall, by gravity, into a vertical position when the 'current of air discontinues.

The lifting of the cover projects the rotfl g into the path of the rod K of the belt shifting mechanism, thereby preventing the shifting of the belt to the tight pulley until the cover has been again closed.

From the foregoing, description it will be observed that I have invented improved' interlocking mechanism between a safety guard for protecting the moving member of a machine, and the means for controlling the application of power to such moving member, whereby the power cannot be applied to the moving member when the guard is in its unprotecting position, and the guard cannot be movedfrom its protecting position until after the power has been disconnected from the moving member. In the specific embodiment of my invention herein disclosed, it will be seen that the power cannot be applied to rotate the basket of a centrifugal extractor until after the cover has been closed, and the cover cannot be opened until after the power has been disconnected from the basket.

While I have disclosed my invention in connection with the automatic locking mechanism covered by my said patent, yet it will be understood that it is capable of use independently of any automatic locking mechanism, as it alone accomplishes the important functions of preventing the operation of the machine while the protecting cover remains open, and of preventing the opening of the cover while the operating power is connected to the basket.

What I claim is:

l. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a moving member, of a safety .guard for preventing access to said member, means for controlling the application of power to said member, and elements connected with said guard and with said controlling means having intersecting paths of movement whereby when said guard is in unprotecting position the element connected thereto lies in the path of the element connected to said controlling means to prevent the operation of the latter to apply power to said member, and when said power controlling means is in position to apply power to said member the element connected thereto lies in the path of the element connected to said guard to prevent the movement thereof from its protecting position.

2. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a rotary basket, of a cover for closing said basket, means for controlling the application of power to rotate said basket, and elements connected to said cover when said cover is in open position the element connected thereto lies in the path of the element connected to said power controlling means to prevent the operation thereof to apply power to the basket, and when said power controlling means is in position to rotate said basket, the element connected thereto lies in the path of the element connected to said cover to prevent the movement thereof into open position.

3. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a rotary basket, of a cover for closing said basket, means for controlling the application of power to said basket, a reciprocating rod connected to said means, a second reciprocating rod having a path of movement intersecting that of said first rod, means connecting said second rod `with said cover for projecting the same into the path of said first rod when the cover is in open position and the power is disconnected from the basket, and for retracting said second rod out of the path of said first rod when the cover is closed, said first rod when .the power is applied to the basket lying in the path of said second rod and thereby preventing the lifting of said cover.

4. In a centrifugal extractor, the combination with a casing, of a rotary basket within said casing, a cover for closing said casing, a belt shifter comprising a reciprocating rod, a second reciprocating rod having a path of movement intersecting that of said belt shifting rod, means connecting said second rod with said cover for projecting the same into the path of said belt shifting rod when the cover is opened and the belt is on the loose pulley and for retracting said rod out of the path of said belt shifting rod when the cover is closed, said belt shifting rod when the belt is on the tight pulley lying in the path of said second rod and thereby preventing the lifting of said cover.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

WILLIAM BARTI-IOLGMEW.

Witnesses:

C. M. LEARY, D. E. MANN.

Copies of lthis patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing th Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

